it is what happens when paul ryan and patty murray tried to reconcile the two. and there will certainly be an attempt to do that. because these are the two packages, or this is the vehicle that the president is looking to to try to get something larger on the debt and deficit. because there are very few remaining paths for the president to try to get a grand bargain. one is the budget process that is commencing simultaneously in each chamber for the first time in a good number of years. so this is an unusual circumstance and one that provides an opportunity for the president, however, like i said, very, very different plans. >> let's talk about that. you wrote a piece that i really enjoy. in that piece you wrote, you called the budget process as we now know it, a sham of sorts. how so? >> well interesting budget doesn't have a force of law. it isn't signed by the president of the united states. we didn't have a budget from 1789 to 1921. until that time, the congress just passed appropriations bills, funded wars, civil wars, the end of slavery, et cetera, et cete